In data centers that utilize hot aisle containment units for environmental control, macroscopic pressure issues occasionally arise. For example, if the fans that operate to cool a group of servers cause air to be blown into a hot aisle containment unit at a rate that exceeds the rate at which air can be removed therefrom, then the hot aisle containment unit will become pressured relative to adjacent cold aisle(s). As the pressure increases, the hot air in the hot aisle containment unit can push out of containment panels and other openings into the cold aisle(s) and be drawn into nearby servers. These servers can exceed their specified thermal values and trip thermal alarms or possibly become damaged due to excessive heat. Excessive pressure in the hot aisle containment unit can also cause other environmental control components to be damaged. For example, exhaust fans that are used to draw hot air out of the hot aisle containment unit could potentially be damaged by the excessive pressure.